The venue was amazing, as we sat near a large window overlooking the bay, while watching fishing boats return with their catches. Our waitress was amazing, displaying a constant smile, she helped us make entree selections suggesting that we skip the seafood platter type dishes, which we can get anywhere and settling on their specialties like the Black Cod and Swordfish. The food was amazing as my Cod came with a maple sauce and Bok Choi. I marked "ambiance" down a star as the venue needed updating. I say this as I observed the dirty, matted down carpet on the way to the restrooms. Overall, we had a great time celebrating our anniversary at this outstanding restaurant that we haven't visited in about eight years. read more

The first bite made me feel like Anton Ego eating Ratatouille and it reminded him of the warm home cooked meals his mother made. Breathtaking views. Absolutely stunning and very romantic. My date and I were strolling through the trails and ended our night having dinner here and perfectly caught the sunset along the San Francisco Bay, truly romantic. The host was welcoming and picked the perfect seat for us to enjoy the golden hour. Our waiter Gregory was also superb, warm, welcoming and I really enjoyed the meal he gave me more details on. Both my date and I truly enjoyed the tasty food, the way all the ingredients harmoniously paired with one another. What more do you ask for if the California Sunsets take you on an ethereal experience pairing it with superb food and company. read more

See all

I had a great time at the recent Berkeley Chamber mixer at Skates on the Bay. The food was a welcome upgrade from the usual networking event fare--fresh, well prepared, and something people were actually talking about. The handcrafted cocktails and curated drinks from the mixologist were outstanding and made the evening feel a little more special. Skates is a perfect place to host a business networking event, nonprofit gathering, or group meeting. The waterfront setting, sunsets, great service, and relaxed atmosphere make it an easy place for people to connect and enjoy themselves. What's not to like? read more

A hazy sunny Bay Area day while dining at Skates on the Bay. This is our second time visiting this spot while tripping to Berkeley. We were seated all most immediately in the restaurant's bar area. As I had remembered from our previous dining experience here the place is very popular, probably a result of the water views and views of downtown San Francisco. The view of Frisco is amazing from this location. We began the experience with a half dozen oysters and a couple lobster bisques. This was a nice start! Next up were our entrees, a lobster tail with asparagus, roasted potatoes, and clarified butter, and a romaine Caesar with fresh crab. Both were tasty. We ended with dessert, key lime pie and chocolate molten cake with caramel and vanilla ice cream. Our server Domnick was attentive and welcoming and also provided excellent service. read more

See all

This is a Berkeley staple and I haven't been since I was a kid! I came here after a Cal Berkeley graduation and I love how their menus had the Cal logo on it to congratulate the new grads. The restaurant is still beautiful and it was nice to see my children enjoy the stunning view now. I mostly munched on appetizers - crab and artichoke dip, calamari, a sushi roll, and a lemon drop. I'm a little picky about my crab dips so I thought it was just okay. But everything else was 10/10. The staff was in a great mood and they were attentive to our large party. read more

See all

Wanted to try a nice place for lunch and this popped on Google when searching for places in the area. Beautiful scenery from all of the windows when walking in. We had a window seat which was great Menu had a variety of items for everyone to choose from. Pasta dish with Shrimp very good, a little spicy from the red pepper flakes. Garlic bread very good Calamari very good Chicken with Couscous was not good. Chicken was dry and we sent back and tried again and second piece just as dry and flavorless Sirloin Steak-Good Cesar salad with Crab very good. FYI side of crab $15 Chicken sandwich-Good read more

See all

This is still one of my favorite restaurants to visit when I get a chance. It's two hours away from home so it's not often. I love the view of the water and being able to see all three bridges from the restaurant, the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, and Richmond Bridge from the same spot. The soup wasn't as good as it usually is but I still like it. I also had the pasta with prawns which was really good. I loved the rich creamy sauce but it was overshadowed by too many red pepper flakes, and took away from nice flavor. I told the server, who said she'd let the cook know, but it wasn't acknowledged or redone with less heat, so I just took it home to see what I could do at home. Not sure about paying over $40 after tax, and $7 tip and not able to eat it. Our favorite is the bread with the buttery garlic sauce on top. My daughter had the prime rib dip, which was a little dry. The service was adequate. We got everything we asked for (ice for our water, horseradish, etc). I still love this place but I hope it gets back to the level it was before, which was 5 stars. read more

See all

My family and I (party of 10) had a 12 noon lunch reservation last Saturday, 7/11, for my 65th birthday celebration. My husband and I arrived at 11:30 am and the table was ready and one of the hosts promptly put the menus on the place settings. I like the fact that the tables were far enough apart so noise from other tables was not an issue. Dominic was our server and he provided excellent service. He promptly took drink orders when our party arrived, followed by the appetizer and main course orders. We never had to wait for service. He always came over at the right time. The drinks and food all came out promptly. After we finished eating, Dominic then asked if he could bring out my birthday cake that they held for me. Finally, he brought out my goodie bags that were held for me after the cake. We couldn't have asked for a better server. Despite a packed restaurant, he clearly anticipated our needs and we never had to search for him. The food was very good as well. I definitely recommend the shrimp and lobster roll, the salmon and the calamari and rainbow roll appetizers. For drinks, the exotic mojito was delicious. Skates is an ideal nice occasion restaurant - white tablecloths, great food, great service, full height windows with gorgeous views of the bay and plenty of parking. I highly recommend Skates! read more

See all

Somehow, I'd never been here even though I grew up in the Bay. Finally, after recently moving back to the Bay as a full-grown adult, I finally got the opportunity to visit through my company. I told my dad I was coming here and thought it was so cute that he used to take my mom here on dates when they were young. We had a great group of us for lunch with great views and vibes. Yes, it's pricey, but the food was quite good. Crab Artichoke Dip - 9/10 Honey Chipotle Shrimp - 8/10 Calamari - 8/10 Clam Chowder - 8/10 Lobster & Shrimp Roll - 9/10 If you need a nice seafood date place, this is a great place. Service was great, food was good even though prices were high, but I was in no place to complain. read more

Staple restaurant in the Berkeley area. Beautiful water views, plenty of parking. Highly recommend coming for weekend brunch. The menu is reasonable, and they offer classic breakfast plates as well as more 'adventurous' fare like poke and sashimi. The poke was surprisingly very good. Pass on the sushi. The servers are patient and nice. read more

See all

Skates on the Bay did an overall nice job with my in-laws' 50th anniversary! There were some snafus with the initial reservation due to staff turnover but we eventually got the contract finalized. They have beautiful bay views, tasty entrees, and a private event room in the heart of the restaurant. The day of coordinators/servers were also very helpful during the event and brought everything out in a timely fashion. The guests raved about the event and had a lovely time. I also liked my prawn linguini and key lime pie. I also enjoyed the happy hour with friends in the past. Recommend having your event here! read more

See all

Skates on the Bay - Berkeley, CA Beautiful views, but the service didn't match the setting. I visited on a Monday evening with my cousin who always makes it a point to come here when she's in town. Since we didn't have a reservation, we sat in the bar area. After being seated, it took about 20 minutes before we were able to order. The bartender was kind and helped get things started, but service throughout the visit felt slow and a bit unwelcoming. Water and bread weren't brought out until we asked, and after placing our order, there was very little follow-up. We ended up waiting over an hour before asking for the check. We ordered The Unveiling, which had a beautiful presentation but leaned heavily on the tequila. The Crab & Avocado Roll was a highlight -- fresh Dungeness crab and great flavor. The updated focaccia-style bread was also a nice touch. The view of the bay, with both bridges visible, continues to be the standout here. One thing to note: parking is now paid. Overall, while the food and views still have their appeal, the service during this visit took away from the experience. read more

See all

Came and had lunch with my husband. We got the crab dip to start. Very yummy. I got the lobster roll and he got an open faced crab sandwich but ordered it with an extra slice of bread to close face it. The food was yummy. Service was pretty good until we finished our food and then it took forever to get boxes and the check. Nice quiet lunch with a beautiful view of the water. read more

Skates On The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We really enjoyed eating at Skates On The Bay. We did not have reservations and were able to sit by the bar. Every place you sit you have a great view of the Bay. the service was excellent, the food delicious. We will return Marianne read more

First of all, the ambiance here is always so beautiful. Sitting by the bay with the big windows just feels so nice and relaxing, definitely a first-class vibe. The food is always amazing, and the service today was excellent . Our server, Jonathan, was super attentive, professional, and just made us feel really taken care of. We come here a lot, but today was extra special, we were celebrating my dad's 91st birthday. Jonathan made it feel really special and they even brought out a creme brulee with a candle, which was such a sweet touch. We ordered the fish and chips, prime rib sandwich, a lobster dish, and the Asian fusion filet tacos everything was so good and cooked to perfection. We also had a few glasses of wine, it was just a perfect lunch. This place never disappoints. Always a great experience. If you're in the area, you should definitely check it out and ask for Jonathan, he's the best! read more

See all

The restaurant is beautiful. It's literally on the bay. There's plenty of parking. I came by to get food to go. I had a $25 bday coupon to use. So I got the fish and chips. And a bowl of clam chowder. The fish stayed crispy and it was cooked perfectly. It was served with some lemon wedges and house made tartar sauce. The soup was good. I didn't really care for the fries. They were ok. There's a lot of happy hour/lunch specials. I've never been here any other time. This would be a great place to go to before the sunset. Great service from the hostess who took my order. She also brought me my food and asked if I needed utensils. On the way to the restaurant, you'll probably see a bunch of wild turkeys running around. read more

See all

We booked a late lunch at Skates for our n+1th Anniversary (where n is large). The staff recognized the special occasion, and we were given a table for two, dead-center, looking out across the Bay at the Golden Gate. Beautiful day, Gorgeous view, and Perfect atmosphere. We started with cocktails... hers an 'Dragon Fizz' mocktail, and then a couple of 'Box Lunch' entrees... My rockfish was moist with a seasoned finish, her pesto salmon pasta was flavorful and robust, and the generous portion meant that lunch is on hand for tomorrow! Our experienced server Carrie took great care of us throughout... and brought dessert with a candle for the occasion. We've had Crème Brûlée on three continents; and Skates' version was one of, if not THE best ever. Exceeded expectations!!!! read more

The location was prime on the bay looking toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Our large group of 13 enjoyed a fun evening at this seafood restaurant. It was upscale but not fussy. Service was good considering there were 3 large parties in our room. The clam chowder and lobster bisque were standout starters. My king salmon was tender and flavorful. The lemongrass black rice risotto was outstanding. Pesto shrimp was good, not great. I sampled the linguini with prawns and grilled Mahi Mahi and both were delicious. The Amalfi cocktail was not only pretty but unique with passion fruit purée and Aperol. I would definitely dine here again. read more

See all

Excellent view. Attentive service. Private parking lot. The food was good but not great. I would return and try something else. read more

See all

Great experience from the moment we walked in, it was my birthday lunch my son told the hostess it was our first time at Skates, they wanted us to have an all around experience & so we did! We started off with a Pinot Noir and I had a martini ordered the calamari and artichokes so delishthen asked our waiter Antonio for suggestions I went with my first choice his pick as well I had the cciapino omg with the bread for dipping and my son had the seafood pasta, we wanted to share each others plates so the waiter suggested to split our dishes and we both experienced a happy tummy, the vibe was perfect not overly noisy. And the views were stunning! To end our meal Antonio brought me a crème brûlée dessert with a candle and we shared it! What a show and experience as our waiter said it would be! I'll be going back for date night. Kudos all the way around read more

See all

Friendly greeting from Hostess, had a 2:30 reservation and seated right away. However had to flag down a Server after waiting approximately 10 (not joking). Lovely view from Our table by the window. The Calamari to start, surprise was the artichoke that is included. Light, crisp, fresh breading, an incredible appetizer. Brewed Ice Tea very pallet pleasing. Jan ordered the Lobster and Shrimp Roll, Loved it. I'm a sucker for Fish and Chips. Will say Our Server redeemed herself during Service. Too full to try dessert, next time. Good Value, Fabulous setting on Berkeley Marina, no wonder they've been here 64 years and counting.. read more

On Christmas Day, I decided to dress up and take myself on a solo dinner date. The holidays can be hard when your immediate family is out of state, so I was really looking forward to a peaceful meal with a beautiful waterfront view. Although I arrived about 20 minutes late, I called ahead and confirmed that I would still be seated by the window. I was told yes. When I arrived, I was seated quickly--but unfortunately not by the window. Instead, I was placed near the kitchen, where it was loud with constant clanking and servers rushing back and forth. There were plenty of open window tables, and I arrived about 40 minutes before closing. When I asked the host for a better seat and pointed out the open tables, I was told those were reserved for larger parties. That was disappointing, especially since I had already confirmed the seating over the phone. Once seated, service continued to fall short. No water was offered, and I waited for quite a while before finally stopping someone walking by to ask for it. My waiter didn't come to the table for another 10-15 minutes and seemed rushed and anxious, offering very short responses when I asked questions. The timing of the food was off. My Caesar salad came before my appetizer, then the appetizer, then the bread. The wine I ordered didn't arrive until I was halfway through my appetizer, even though the bread and wine should have come first. The calamari was the highlight--zesty, flavorful, and honestly a 10/10. The salad was fine but unremarkable; I expected something more elevated from an upscale restaurant. The steak and mashed potatoes arrived lukewarm, and while I cleared my own plates to make space, no one came to remove them. My water glass sat empty until I asked for a refill. The main course was very mid--honestly comparable to something you'd get at Denny's or IHOP, not a higher-end restaurant. With an appetizer, three-course meal, and crème brûlée for dessert, the total came to $115. Despite the poor service, I still left a $30 tip. Maybe solo diners don't get the same attention. Maybe the seating location made it hard for staff to notice me. Maybe my waiter was having a rough day. Whatever the reason, the experience didn't match the price point or reputation. I wanted this to be a special solo holiday dinner, but unfortunately it fell short. Do better. read more

See all

Food: 5 stars Ambiance 4 stars Service: 5 stars My partner and I came here for his company's holiday dinner. Our party of about 25 people was set up in a private room. An appetizer buffet was set up with coconut shrimp, sushi rolls, bruschettas, artichoke dip, and a cheese/fruit platter. There was a three course menu for the evening with a couple of choices for each course. First course was choice b/w Lobster bisque or wedge salad The second course was a 13 oz prime rib, fettuccine alfredo with shrimp and crab, or rosemary chicken with couscous. The dessert course was eggnog crème brûlée or a mint chocolate cake. We had the lobster bisque, prime rib, and crème brûlée. Each dish was very well prepared and delicious. The bisque was a bit salty but still tasty. The service was excellent, rent attentive and responsive. Based on people's ratings I didn't give skates a chance but I'm glad we got to experience it. I'll be back for the prime rib! read more

Skates On The Bay - Eggnog crème brûlée - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

David is our server. He came over and instantly made us feel welcome. I could see he really enjoyed his job. He had a certain amount of energy that he shared with the table and it was very pleasant. Made us feel like we were at home. We ordered the prawn and crab linguine. It was absolutely over-the-top delicious. I like the fact that they give you quite a bit of fish on there. I would've loved to ace more crab, but that didn't take away from the delicious sauce that came with it. And that crispy garlic bread that was there Just made it so easy to clean up our plate at the end of the meal. We left nothing on that plate. With the big smile on our face. Madi closed our bill. She was a very charming and informative young lady that helped us. It was nice getting to know her a little bit and she reminded me a lot of of my own family and made me a tiny bit homesick because she was so sweet. My wife and I enjoyed taking a minute to talk with her. She obviously loves her job as well. She totally is people people. Just as David is. When we're out in that area, this is our go to restaurant you cannot beat the San Francisco Bay view especially it's sunset and the place is crazy fall. We came on a Sunday and it was packed, but the sunset was a five star sunset. If you wanna have a nice romantic dinner over the San Francisco Bay This is the place. read more

See all

Martha was our server extraordinaire, even though she had a large party next to us, she managed to be very attentive to our luncheon needs. Came here to revisit with an old work colleague. We both settled on the Box Lunch special. Both had clam chowder soup with fresh cracked pepper. Lynn had the Salmon Pasta and I indulged upon the Blackened Rockfish with rice and string beans. View of the SF Bay is always spectacular, but it's been humid & muggy lately so it was gracious to feel the Bay breezes as well as the views. We'll be back soon to try other entrees. read more

Skates On The Bay - SF Bay view of The City - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

We had open table reservation and got a beautiful view of the bay from our table. The place was busy with holiday gatherings. We had their delish buttery garlic bread and a humungous dish of crispy calamari so light and crispy, crab and artichoke dip with bread. For entrees two ordered the shrimp and crab linguini, seared kalbi bao buns and I ordered the steamed clams and split a caesar salad with one of my friends. The clams were fine except they added chili flakes to the broth and it was too much kick for me. For dessert we shared creme brulee delish, key lime pie and the fried banana split that came with yummy toppings! Service was somewhat attentive but only one server in our area and he was quite busy read more

See all

Came here with the wife to celebrate our anniversary. Made a reservation through OpenTable and requested a table next to the water in the comments. And much to our delight, they actually sat us at a table with a magnificent view of the bay! Additionally, I had selected on the OpenTable reservation that this was celebrating an anniversary, and the server actually noticed that detail without any prompting and congratulated us several times throughout our meal for our special day. There are some mixed reviews here on Yelp about the food, but thankfully this was not our experience as everything we ordered was delicious! I had the Dungeness Crab & Shrimp Linguini, which consisted of garlic cream in a clam broth, with tomatoes, spinach, chili flakes, parmesan, and lemon. Plated with 4 large shrimps, nicely seared with a crispy tail shell, and topped with bits of Dungeness crab. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, the linguine cooked al dente, and the crab meat was fresh. My wife had the Grilled Seafood Trio, which consisted of 2 very large scallops, jumbo shrimps, a nicely cooked salmon filet, mashed potatoes, veggies and capers. She really enjoyed her selection as well, and was quite stuffed by the end of the meal. To top off our meal, we ended it with a Chocolate Raspberry Rendezvous for dessert. A molten chocolate cake topped with raspberry mousse, and accented with a sugar cone tuile cookie and fresh raspberries. Thank you Skates on the Bay for making our special day that much more memorable! We look forward to visiting a lot more for both future events as well as just to try out their happy hour menu. read more

See all

I've been sitting alone at a table for more than 5 minutes. No acknowledgment. The view is beautiful. No food yet.

A restaurant from another time, another place. Not in a good way. Lobster was not tasty at all, and that ought to have been among their main concerns. Presumably it was frozen? No sauce on it. If I'm eating lobster without sauce, it ought to be very good lobster. But some of the other stuff I had was better. The lobster bisque was good, so was the espresso mocktail (might have been a different coffee mocktail, I don't recall precisely). Also I recommend you avoid the salmon sliders. They seemed to be 95% bread. And not some super delicious brioche bun, either. Crab-stuffed jalapenos were decent, not bad but not amazing. And obviously the view is very nice. Wish I could give this place 2.5 stars. read more

A waterfront dining experience with panoramic views of the Bay Area they mostly offer Seafood with a couple other options like Filet Mignon and Chicken and delicious sides like broccolini and mac and cheese .. etc. My favorite thing is the View so so beautiful and it almost feels like you're on a cruise watching the water. The other side of the restaurant where the Bar is is beautiful as well a long with a romantic fireplace. Definitely a birthday and romantic dinner spot. The staff is very friendly as well but the service can be a bit slow since it's a big enough restaurant. read more

See all

Greg was the best server ever! He was so attentive and charismatic, he checked in on us at the right time! The ambiance was so good, very pretty view. Food was great too. Every was great 10/10! read more

Skates On The Bay - crème brûlée - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Best seafood in the east bay, hands down! Our server clearly loves her job and clearly cared. She was honest, down to earth, fun, and engaging in such a way that somehow she became my bff. Everything on the menu is exceptional. I love every type of shellfish, so I go tapas style and order raw oysters, Dungeness crab, clams, and occasionally I spurge on a lobster tail. Huge fan! read more

The view is the winner here. Our family dined at Skates on the Bay on a Sunday evening around sunset, and it was beautiful. Service was great. We had a reservation, and were seated fairly quickly for a busy weekend evening. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. Our whole family loved the burrata and prosciutto - the portion size was perfect for our family of 4. I ordered the miso cod, my husband and eldest both ordered the prime rib, my youngest had the kid's grilled chicken, and we ordered the steamed Dungeness crab cluster as a side. For dessert, I had the fried banana split. 10/10 would come here again. read more

See all

First time ever coming here , yes a surprise for me too being that I'm a seafood addict . It's been on my bucket list for years I finally got to come so let's get into it ( dine in review ) First of all , highly recommend making a reservation. I came with a party of 6 on a Saturday and we should have known it'd be busy in there . They told us they couldn't accommodate a table of 6 but the bar side was open for seating . So we sat at the bar and had a table right next to us that sat 4 . At the bar I was able to order . I started with a Bloody Mary which was made perfect the right amount of everything . I got a dozen oysters and the waiter kindly told me about the difference in seasonal and pacific oysters so I got half and half . They were very fresh and delicious. The bigger oysters melted like butter in your mouth so yummy . I also got a bowl of clam chowder and I was highly impressed. It was rich and full of clams and they weren't chewy at all . Half way through eating what I ordered a table actually ended up being open for us to sit at and it was window side right by the water ! Nice ! David was our waiter and he was very nice ! We moved to the table and everyone else ordered oysters as well . Table side view was nice we literally watched the sun set behind the hills . At the table I got the crab artichoke dip and it was delicious. You can taste the crab it was rich and the garlic butter bread they give for the table goes perfectly with it ( not pictured ) Everyone including me was very satisfied with everything we got and definitely will be coming back again to try more things off the menu . For my first time I was satisfied and would recommend giving it a try just make a reservation! read more

See all

Amazing experience, we were given a gift certificate and was recommended by the staff at the Berkeley Marina and food was seriously the best specially the lobster bisque, the lobster roll, the steamed clams hint of smokiness to them. Cocktails and desert all so well done. Our waitress Kaitlyn was so delightful and attentive. My daughter had to leave her a note on the bill. thank you for the amaizng experienc! read more

It's on the water so that's wonderful. The place is large and open. The noise level is okay not too loud. The food was good although a bit expensive, but everyone enjoyed it. We were greeted well and the drinks were good. But...our waitress needs to be retrained or apply for another job. She threw the plates on the table, was very distracted and seemed as though she didn't want to service our table. This was the only issue. We have come for lunch before and had an excellent wait-staff. This was a one off. read more

The food and drinks were amazing while looking out the window, watching the ways. Enjoying chatting with my classmate friend. The waiter was on point during our visit. The water views of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate are a thing of beauty. I will be returning! read more

See all

We requested a window seat and they were kind enough to save one for us. It was a beautiful day and the view was amazing. Our server, Carrie, was wonderful! Attentive but not intrusive. Pleasant and had good recommendations! We ordered some drinks and the burrata to share. Came out very stylish with lots of options. Could have used a little more burrata! We ordered a French dip and the linguine pasta. Both were large servings and we took 1/2 home. As we were celebrating a birthday, they brought out a complimentary crème brûlée with a candle! Nice touch! Highly recommended! read more

Skates On The Bay - Savory Burrata & Prosciutto - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hidden gem. Very lovely interior with excellent service. Our waitress split the family salad for the four of us,and gave comped us 2 desserts for celebrating 2 birthdays. She kept our drinks filled. Food is delicious. We started with an appetizer of fried calamari with two different dipping sauces. Yummy. Our table all had seafood that was expertly prepared from the sea bass which was not over dine. The pine encrusted fried shrimp was delicious atop the linguini. We appreciate the wonderful service and delicious food and will be back. read more

See all

My first time at Skates was for a surprise dinner, and it was wonderful! The food was tasty, and the steak was cooked perfectly. I absolutely loved the scenic views, especially during sunset. The service was excellent, and the staff were very accommodating. read more

See all